a dream she and her husband had once shared. They’d planned to leave Baton Rouge and its big city life behind and move to a small town where they could grow their family in a friendly, nurturing environment. They’d been saving for a house, but she had been forced to use the money for Craig’s funeral instead. Alone and pregnant with their second child, she’d moved to Jackson, Tennessee, to live with her mother and gone back to school at night to get her degree.
The past five years had been difficult, moving from place to place, job to job. The librarian position was her chance to find a permanent home.
So, they’d come to Dover a few days early to find a place to live and check into child care. It was supposed to be a fun trip discovering their new home. Instead, they were sitting in a police station, the victims of a crime. As they had been leaving a local restaurant, a man had shoved Lainie against her car, waved a gun in her face, then yanked her purse from her arm and fled. Thankfully, she’d already put the girls in the car. But all she had left were the car keys she held in her hand, and eight dollars and thirty-four cents—change from lunch, which she’d shoved into the pocket of her cotton slacks.
The moment replayed in her mind like a scene from a horror film, tightening the vise of fear around her chest. She lowered her head into her hands, fighting to keep the rising panic at bay. How was she going to take care of her girls? Where would they stay? She’d set aside money for a motel, but now, without a credit card or cash, that was impossible. Tears welled in her eyes and she brushed them away quickly, not wanting the children to see her upset. But she was barely holding it together.
“Look, Mommy, I colored it purple.” Chrissy’s blue eyes sparkled from behind her glasses.
“Good job, sweetie.”
Looking at her precious girls, her throat constricted again. What if the thief had taken the car with the girls inside? What if he’d killed her? Lainie forced the terrifying thoughts aside. She couldn’t give in to the fear. They were all fine, but destitute. She had no phone, no ID and no money. The only person she knew in town, Mr. Bill Ogden, mayor and president of the library board who’d hired her, was out of town for the weekend. They were on their own.
Unless Shaw McKinney showed up.
The knot in her chest grew. She clasped her hands together, squeezing tightly. While paying her bill at the restaurant, she’d noticed several business cards on display. One had a familiar name printed on it. Goudchaux McKinney Construction. Shaw McKinney, contractor. She’d picked up the card, the name unearthing anger and resentment she’d thought long buried. If it weren’t for him, Craig would still be alive and her daughters would have a father. She’d shoved the card into her pocket along with the change. Shaw was the last person on earth she wanted to ask for help, but he was her only option. She’d given the card to the officer and asked him to call.
“Mommy, I have to go.” Natalie wiggled in her chair.
Chrissy looked up, pushing her tiny glasses up on her little nose. “Me, too.”
Lainie stood and looked around for her purse, wincing when she remembered it was gone. “Come on, girls.” Lainie took their hands and walked down the hall to the restrooms. She tried to quell the nervousness swirling in her stomach as she helped Chrissy wash her hands. Maybe when she returned to the lobby, Shaw would be here. She didn’t want to think about what they would do if he didn’t come. Worse yet, what if he did? Turning for help to the man responsible for her husband’s death was repugnant.
Settling into the molded plastic chair again, she glanced toward the lobby entrance as yet another stranger walked in. She’d repeated this motion so often she now recognized the distinct squeak and swoosh of the door when it opened and closed. This time, it ushered in a gray-haired man carrying a large envelope.
“Mommy, can you draw me a rainbow?”
Lainie took one of the crayons and drew arched lines across the paper. “What’s Shaw doing here in Dover, Mississippi, anyway?”
“What, Mommy?”
“Nothing, sweetie. I’m just talking to myself.” The last time she’d seen Shaw was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Craig had hired on with Beaumont Construction, determined to learn carpentry so he could eventually start his own contracting firm. Shaw had been his instructor, the one assigned to show him the ropes and keep him safe as he navigated the dangers of the job. But he hadn’t, and Craig had died.
Lainie pressed her lips together. They’d been sitting in the police station for two hours, filling out forms, answering questions. She had to face the possibility that Shaw might not come. He probably didn’t remember her. She’d have to find another way to survive until she started her job next week. Maybe there was a homeless shelter in town. The idea made her sick. She’d worked hard the past five years to take care of her girls, and she’d done a decent job so far. But this wasn’t the time to let pride stand in her way. Perhaps there was a church in town that could help. Their last resort would be to spend a few nights in the car until the mayor returned. Hopefully, he’d let her start work early or give her an advance to tide her over.
Closing her eyes, she clasped her hands in front of her mouth. Lord, help me. I have no one. Nowhere to turn, but You. You’ve seen me through these past five years. Please don’t abandon me now.
* * *
Shaw McKinney ended the call and jammed his cell phone into his back pocket, grinding his teeth in exasperation. The drywall crew that was supposed to start today wasn’t coming. Any more setbacks and this project might never be completed. He was already three weeks behind due to a series of unexpected delays. Thankfully, he’d obtained an extension, but the next deadline was set in concrete. Slowly, he walked through the old mansion. The 1885 house was one of the oldest in Dover and had been empty for the past dozen years. Thanks to an anonymous benefactor, the building, along with money for restoration, books and staff, had been donated to the town to replace the library, which had burned down five years ago.
Shaw had won the contract. It had meant not only a financial boon to his new construction business, but a huge boost to his reputation. After leaving LC Construction a year ago and starting his own company, McKinney Construction, he’d made the classic newbie mistake of overscheduling his projects. With the library job behind, he’d had to pull back on his other jobs because if this one wasn’t done on time, he’d have to pay a hefty fine to the benefactor’s foundation, one that could mean the end of his fledgling business. Shaw had factored in time for unexpected problems, but the old house had coughed up more than he’d bargained for.
“So, are they coming or not?”
“Not.” Shaw faced his foreman and longtime mentor, Russ Franklin. The older man was the biggest asset to Shaw’s start-up construction company. Skilled, experienced and dedicated, Russ had owned his own company in Alabama for years. When he had sold it, Shaw had convinced him to move to Dover to work with him. “Our drywall crew took another job. They couldn’t wait on us any longer.”
“That’s going to put us further behind.”
“How long would it take for you and me to do the work?” It was his last resort.
Russ frowned. “Too long. We’re way too close to the deadline as it is. You want me to find us another crew?”
The knot in Shaw’s chest, which had formed over the past few weeks, tightened. “Yeah. Call Laura Holbrook and see if she has a few guys we could use. Or maybe she knows of another contractor we can call. I’ve used up all my contacts.”
Russ
